Blah Blah Blah Democracy
On multiple social platforms, such as this one, SubStack, or even Farcebook, there is a myriad of posts, from highly knowledgeable individuals, some degreed in law, some well-established political figures, some click-bait low lifes (Farcebook); all who collectively decry the disembowelment of American democracy happening now under the reign of Trump and his legion of leeches. Many of these posts decry the similar stories and call to arms through impeachment, whether it be of Trump himself, Robert Kennedy Jr. or Supreme Court justices. Some posts ask for donations to help the authors continue to fight the fight, carry the torch, and shout from the mountaintop.
And what happens?
Nothing.
Actually, that’s not true. Something has happened. Another war in the Middle East.
It helps to recall who trained Trump. Roy Cohn; Joseph McCarthy’s chief counsel (legal advisor, staff prosecutor, and attack dog) for the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations from 1953 to 1954. In basic terms, the MO was and remains pretty simple: deny, deny, deny. Lie, lie, lie. And the most effective tactic in their strategy is to tie things up in court. Sue and counter-sue. Appeal loses and continue to advance appeals up the legal food chain; from lower courts to higher courts, even all the way up to Trump’s personal court, the Supreme Court.
Distilled down to its essence, it is a strategy to use the system to destroy the system.
And then there is their strongest ally; God.
The phrase “In God We Trust” was legally added to the currency in 1955, although there was a slight version of it on some currency in 1864 during the Civil War. Question: exactly whose God were they referring to? America is supposed to be a pluralistic society. It wouldn’t take much to take a scene of a Muslim placing their hand on a Christian Bible, raising their right hand and swearing to tell the truth, so help them God, and turn it into a Monty Python skit or a South Park episode.
The government, mostly Republicans, has taken Christianity and turned it into something resembling a Marvel comic book series. A blue-eyed, Caucasian Christ figure? In the Middle East over two thousand years ago? And Trump has provided no evidence that he is aware of anything contained in the Bible. In a 2015 Bloomberg Politics interview, asked about his faviorite Bibale passage, he said, “I wouldn’t want to get into it. Because to me, that’s very personal.”
Anyone with a half-functioning brain would likely surmise that he knows nothing of what is contained in the Bible.
Trump has quoted the Bible as saying “an eye for an eye…” which is from the Old Testament (Leviticus 24:20 and Deuteronomy 19:21). It is also stated in the Quran, but in the Quran, there is a clause that allows for a fine rather than physical harm. Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:45 states: “We ordained for them [in the Torah]: life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal,” referencing the Biblical principle while allowing forgiveness or compensation.
I strongly believe in the separation of church and state. What is the relevance of an atheist swearing to tell the truth by placing their hand on a book they don’t believe in?
I have a simple solution. In a court of law, a witness should place their hand on the US Constitution and raise their hand, and say, “I swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth or face prison time.”
But I digress. Let’s go back to the litany of posts and reporting and cries for impeachment and nothing happening. The excuse? The Republicans control both the Senate and Congress.
I have a suggestion. But first, a caveat: I am not a lawyer, and it would be imperative to remain on the right side of the legal fence. The last thing anyone wants to do is give Trump justification to instill martial law and cancel the midterm elections.
My suggestion is to use social means as old as civilization itself. The Amish use it today. It is called shunning. Other societies use ostracizing.
These forms of shaming are nonviolent and very effective. Every member of Congress and the Senate have homes. Picket the Republican, Trump-enablers from public property. Say nothing liable. Perhaps just questions: “Senator Spineless, why are you not advocating to enact the 25th Amendment of the Constitution?”
And shun them. Isolate them. Don’t talk to them. If a Republican, Trump-enabler who is holding public office sits down beside you in church, get up and move. No more seats? Stand at the back.
Would this make any meaningful difference? Realistically? Probably not. But do you want to be a spectator to the collapse of American democracy? Or though whatever legal means you have, a defender of it?
Oh, one last thing. If you own a pair of Florsheim shoes, throw them in the garbage. And if you find your ‘representative’ wearing Florsheim shoes, throw them in the garbage, too.
